HEALTHCARE | INNOVATION


Medical matters: PVC and polyolefins recycling


Developments in recycling medical devices and packaging include creation of the VinylPlus Healthcare platform, and partnerships between industry and hospitals. By David Eldridge


Plastics waste and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the healthcare sector are growing each year and could rise by 35-40% by 2040, pushing costs for health systems in Europe and North America above $76bn. This startling prospect, presented in a report by Systemiq and Eunomia (A Prescription for Change: Rethinking plastics use in healthcare to reduce waste, GHG emissions and costs), reflects the increasing demand for single-use plastics in hospitals, clinics and other healthcare settings. The growth projection comes after the global Covid pandemic early in the decade brought to the foreground the issue of disposable plastics, such as protective wear and packaging, and the waste they generate after their medical usefulness. Reducing unnecessary use of items and switch-


ing from disposable to durable versions of gowns, trays and masks would help reduce plastics waste, and these measures are among the recommenda- tions in the report. Along with improving recycling through better design and segregation and


www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com


procuring low-GHG plastics from bio-based or carbon-capture sources, the report said these interventions could cut single-use plastics by 53%, reduce GHG emissions by 55%, and deliver annual savings of $18bn by 2040 compared with a Business-as-Usual Scenario. The pandemic plastics mountain provoked concern among healthcare leaders and stakehold- ers, leading hospital groups in North America and Europe to initiate projects to reduce plastics waste and start recycling programs. Solutions are also being developed by companies and organisations in the plastics industry, usually in projects with healthcare partners. In the PVC industry, VinylPlus Healthcare is a


platform that was launched last year to unify the industry’s sustainability focus in healthcare. The European PVC industry has improved recycling in areas like window profiles, flooring and cables for the past two to three decades via the VinylPlus platform and its predecessors. VinylPlus Healthcare


January/February 2026 | PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD 29


Main image: Clean, sorted PVC medical tubing ready for recycling


IMAGE: VINYLPLUS HEALTHCARE


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